Instead of drugs, some researchers found they could use microbes -- in this case, worms. Officially known as helminths, these microscopic wrigglers could be used to treat certain allergies. When researchers took a closer look at how these supposed pathogens were actually helping people, they found a surprising result.

While it is understandable that the public is interested in the ongoing story of why ASD patients have so many problems with their gut and diet, we cannot leap beyond the conclusions from one study and overgeneralise. This study, like any good science, leaves us with more questions than answers

During the second mission to the moon in 1969, Apollo 12, the crew brought back a camera that had been sent some two and a half years earlier. When they returned, the camera underwent extensive testing including microbiological analysis. Much to their surprise, they found a colony of earthly bacteria; apparently the microbes had survived the inhospitable lunar environment.

The process of convincing a 18- to 36-month-old child to give up the freedom of a diaper and learn to use the strangely shaped porcelain bathroom furniture is not for the faint of heart. While the problems may seem humourous to many, including parents who have already gone through the nightmare, there are potentially germy consequences that need to be considered.

A recent microbiology study of the office has gone further than any other and provided a path for the improvement of the quality of life in the office environment. The team swabbed offices in three major American cities and found the usual suspects -- fecal bacteria, skin bacteria -- but also identified 500 other types of microbes...